Side-draft-eliminating device



June 11, 1929. c, VERKRUYSSE 1,716,804

SIDE DRAFT ELIMINATING DEVICE 7 Filed Sept. 21, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June ll, 1929 c. VERKRLJYSSE 1516,5504

SIDE DRAFT ELIMINATING DEVICE Filed Spt. 21, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 3 fig i 5 if v gmwtw C Zyde Vaivfiruysse,

June 1, 1929. I c. VERKRUYSSE ,8

SIDE DRAFT EDIMINATING DEVICE Filed Sept; 21, 1928 3 Sheets' Sheet 3 (7 51/6 52 Var/ rag a Patented June 11, 1929.

P Q FF-IC CLYDE VERKRUYSSE, or names, minors.

srnn-imArr-nnnviiivn'rlire nnvrc n.

Application filed September 21, Serial No. 3t)7,4.

, This invention relates to a device 'or mechanism useful In the prevention of side draft or lateral sluing of vehicles when drawn by r tractors or the like.

A more particular object of the invention is, to provide means 't'o offset the natural tendency of the rear 01- main'frame of road maintainers to move laterally toward the gutter or off side of road when connected to and being drawn by atractoror the like. Thepresent invention is es' aeciall'y adapted for use in connection with vehicles embodying a rear or main frame provided with a front st c eringtruck having a forwardly projecting draft pole or tongue, and the in- ,ventionprovides means for adjustab'ly sus taming the dratt pole or tongue at anangle to the longltud nal axis of the rear or mam frame of the vehicle,vso that'. when the vehicle is drawn forwardly by a tractor or the likeconnectedto the draft pole or tongue, thelatter is constantly subjected to a force tending to shift the same parallel with the line of draft or the longitudinal axis'o't the 7 main frame, thereby simultaneously. sub- ,jectil g the rear or mainframe to arforce tending to shift the same laterally toward "the inner ornearportion of the road, thereby e fiiectively offsetting or eliminating the side draft or the natural tendency of the main frame 'to shift laterally toward the gutter or offside of the road.

I Still another ob ect' 1s to-provide a side draft eliminating deviceotthe above kind V which may be readily applied to Vehicles] already in use, and which is extremelysimple' in construction, economical to manufacture and install and efiicrent 1n use.

:Other objects Will appear asthehature of the invention is better understood, fand-the same consists inthe novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described shown in the accompanying drawings, and claimed. In the drawlngsz lfligure 1 is& topplan View of a roadmain tainer equipped with a side draft eliminating device embodying the prescntinvention.

FigureQ is an enlarged fragmentary side elcvational view of the construction shown in Figurel, lookingtowai d the inner orne'ar side of the mainframe of the road maintainer and showing details of construction of -the invention.

eeitstrucisteerl (r Figure 4 is a tragnientary vertical section taken on line' l' t of Figure'Q.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of FigureQ; and, Figure Gisa perspective View ofonerof the cable guidestormihg part of the present ve on r i r 1 t The invention is shotvn connection with a road maintainer ef thetype disclosed in the U. S. patent "to B. Bonney, No. 1,857,6S5, dated November 2, 1920,,when prov'ided wvith a 'steeringmeans oit the type disclosedin the SaPatent to BonneyNo. 1,451,757, dated April 17,1923. The road maintainer has a rear or inain frame 1 1 supported atfits 'front by a steering truck 12 Wheels'IS, Scraper blades l t are disposed transverselyfof t lre refar frameatan oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of tlie latter, it

being understood that the blades m y be 'elevate'd or loweredbymeans of certainlevers.

The road maintainer alsq includes an under frame consisting of an aiiglefbarorcrossplate and suitablejhanger s fflthe, a gl'ebar or cross plate "6 being disposed parallel with and front of the hlades14 and being principally supported by the main frame '11.

' and provided atits rear end n ith supporting s1iiooth:su'riacefor the latter, "the maintainer being drawn i orivardly by a meter or the likefor performing the road surfacing operation; 'Inerder that the movements of the maintainertoward the nearer o'fl? side vof the 'roadmay be controlledpractically independ,-

ent of thef forwardmovement of the tractor While connected With the latter, it has been 'lproposedtepijovide adraft pole'or tonghejls pivot l cnnectedat its 're'arend with the a king pin 16, the draftpole or tonguelahavan eye 6 at its 'forward end forconnection tviththe' tractor or the "like, and meansbeing provided tor swinging the, steering truck 12 toia ny desired position relatiVetothe draft pole ortong'ue15 so as to change the direction Wever, due to the pivotal-conthev main frame vthe e hasslheen forwardly H0 betw A tree n i front end (it thet frame and with the bolster dot the steering truck 12, bymejans'o'f outer or off side of the road, thus resulting in objectionable side draft. Due to the oblique angle at which the blades 14: are set, and the slope of the side of the road, this side draft is a natural tendency or result when the main tainer is drawn forwardly. It is thus apparent that the provision of steeringmeans alone, while of some value in steering the maintainer independently of the tractor, does not produce the desired result in a satisfactory manner, due to the fact that side draft is not eliminated. V

In order to effectively eliminate the objectionable side draft mentioned above, I provide means for connecting the draft pole or tongue with the rear of the mainframe 5 at the inner or near side of the maintainer so as to sustain the draft tongue or pole 1'5at an angle to the line of draft or the ltmgitudinal axis of the main frame 11f Furthermore, in order that proper elimination of side draft may be effected under different or constantly changing road and operating conditions, the means of the present invention is preferably adapted for adjustably sustaining the draft pole or tongue at an angle to the line of draft or at any one of several different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the main frame 11. With such an arrangement the ob'ection able side draft will not only be eliminated, but the action of the steering mechanism will be rendered more efficient in controllingthe direction of movement of themaintainer.

The maintainer has" been shown as provided withsteering means such as is disclosed in the Bouncy Patent No. 1,45 51,75? mentioned above, the same consisting of a yoke 19 mounted on the forward end of the reach bar 7 18 of truck 12 and disposed transversely of said reach bar beneath the draft tongue 15 illtermediate the ends of the latter, and means for applying power to the reachbar 1 8 so as to cause it to swing transversely of the tongue 15. The means for applying'power to the reach bar 18 is clearly described in the last mentioned Bouncy patent and needs no more specific description herein, it being mentioned however, thatthe same includes the steering sha t 21 provided at its rearend with a hand wheel s2 and operatively connected at its forward end with the yoke 19, and with the draft pole or tongue 15.

The embodiment of the present invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawin embodies a vertical or upright winding drum 25 journaled at the inner or near side of the frame 11 near the rearendof the latter and having a cable 26 attachedto and adapted to be wound thereon, the cable 26 being extended forwardly and provided upon its free end with suitable means such as a hook 237 engagcable in the eye Z) of the tongue 15 for connecting the same to the forward end of said tongue. It will thus be seen that by winding the cable or equivalent flexible meinber 26 upon the drum 25 the tongue 15 may be adjusted to the desired angle to the line of draft or the longitudinal axis of the frame 11 and in a forwardly and inwardly extending position as shown in Figure 1. It will also be seen that if the drum 25 is restrained against rotation so as to prevent unwindingof the cable therefrom, the ton ue 15 will be sustained at the angle to the line of draft, whereby, when the maintainer is drawn forwardly by a tractor or the like connected to the front end of the tongue 15, the tendency will be to swing the tongue 15 toward the outer or off side of the maintainer or toward a position parallel with the line of draft. This tendency, in combination with the connection between the front end of the tongue 15 and the rear portion of the frame 11 at the inner or near side of the maintainer, will result in a force being applied to the rear end of the frame 11 tending to shift the same laterally toward the inner or near portion of the road,thereby offsetting the natural. tendency of the frame 11 to sine or move laterally toward the outer or off side of the road by reason of the inclination of the side of the road upon which'the machine is operating and by reason of the oblique position of the blades 1a. In this way the objectionable side draft is effectively prevented or eliminated, and maintenance of the steering truck 12 and tongue 15 in any desired relation to the frame 11 is insured'for most eiiicient steering and side draft preventing actions according to road conditions, etc. At the same time, the truck 12 may be adjusted independently of the tongue 15 relativeto the line of travel,

thus increasing the efficiency of the steering operation effected by swinging the reach bar 18. It will be particularly noted that the present invention greatly increases the effec tive range of the steering mechanism by reason of the fact that the maintainer may be drawn forward when the tongue 15 is disposed at'a forward and inward angle. This permits swinging of the reach bar 18 a con siderable distance toward the inner or near side of themaintainer, a condition which is not presented where the tongue 15 is allowed freedom of movement relative to thefranie 11' and naturally assumes a position in line with the'longitudinal axis of the maintainer.

In order that the movement of the tongue 15 to the right or left may be readily changed and will be under convenient control of an operator, 1' provide the upper end of the winding drum 25 with a worm gear 28 which meshes with a worm 29 secured upon the ad jacent end of an operating shaft 30 which is provided at its opposite end with a hand wheel 31. The operating shaft 30 extends laterally or inwardly and rearwardly from the drum 25 to a point adjacent the rear oper venient' reach ofthe operator for operating the winding drum 25to wand the 'cable26 on or unwind the same from said drum.

The shaft of drum 251s supported at its lower end i in a bearing 32 provided on an angle bracket '33fastened upon the innerend suitable block or casting 3i having bearings 35 for the adjacent end portion of the oper ating shaft 30, and between which bearings 35 the worm 29'is positioned so as to be held against axial displacement. The casting or block 35 is sustained in position and braced against lateral strains by means of sultablebraces 36 attached thereto and extended outwardly and attached to theframe 11- as well' as downwa-rdly and attached to the angle bar (3. Thebraces are assembled to thebearing block 34, and'are soarranged as to. be readily bolted to theframe lland angle bar 6 alongwith the angle bracket 33. In this way the device is adapted for ready attachment-to or installation upon existing road maintainers so as to present a simple, durable and efficient mechanism.

Guides 37 and 38 are respectively attached to the forward and intermediate portions of the frame 11 at the inner or near side of the latter, and the cable 26 is extended through these guides so that it is sustained. at a proper elevation to properly wind upon the drum 25 without winding below the lower end of the latter. These guides may be of any preferred or well known construction, but the rear guide 38 preferably consists of a hookshaped piece of strap metal adapted to be bolted at one end to the frame 11 where one of the braces 36 is bolted to the latter in front of the winding drum 25. This rear guide is clearly shown in' Figure 6.

In'using the present side draft eliminating device, the operator turns the hand wheel 31 for rotating the drum 25 in the proper direct-ion for windingthe cable 26 on or unwinding the same from said drum and thereby adjusting the tongue 15 at the desired angle to the longitudinal axis of the frame 11, as the case may be. Due tothe self-locking nature of the worm gearing at 28 and 29, the winding drum 25 will be maintained against accidental rotation so that the tongue 15 will be sustained in any position to which it is swung. The tractor may then-travel at or near the middle of the roadway and be steered independently of the road maintainer, the draft being transmitted however by the cable 26 and associated parts to the rear end of the frame 11 so as to offset its natural 1 tendency to draft sidewise toward the outer or off side of the road. By the use of the means presented herein, the utility of road maintaining machines has been greatly increased. I However, whlle the embod ment of the invention herein shown and described has given satisfactory results in actual practice, it.is nevertheless to be understood -,that various changes in the form, combination. and arrangement of parts such as will come fairly within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated and within the purview of the invention.

lVhat I claim as new is:

1. The combination with the main frame of a vehicle having a front steering trucl-r, a draft- ,tongue pivotally connected at its rear end to the steering truck-and. adapted to be coupled at its front end to atractor or the like, and means for adjustably sustaining said steering truck at an angle to said draft tongue, of means for adjustably sustaining said drafttongne'at an angle to the longitudinal axis ofsaid main frame.

2. The combination with the main frame of a vehicle havinga frontsteering truck, a draft tongue p votally connected at its rear end ,to said steering truck, andmeansto steer said truck relative to the main frame and said draft tongue, of an extensible draft connection between the forward end of said draft tongue and the rear inner side portion of said main frame. I

3. The combination with a road maintainer having a main frame provided with a front steering truck, a draft tongue pivotally connected at its rear end to said steering truck, and means to adjustably swing said steering truck relative to the main frame and said draft tongue, of a winding drum mounted at the inner side of said main frame, a flexible member attached to and adapted to be wound upon said drum, means to connect said flexible member to the front end of said draft tongue, and means for turning said drum.

a. The combination with a road maintainer having amain frame provided with a front steering truck, a draft tongue pivotally connected at its rear end to said steering truck, means to adjustably swing said steer ing truck relative to the main frame and said draft tongue,-of a winding drum mounted at the inner side of said main frame, a flexible member attached to and admpted to be wound upon said drum, means to connect said flexible member to the front end of said draft tongue, means for turning said drum, a cross plate suspended from said main frame, a bracket secured on the inner end of said cross plate and having a bearing for the lower end of the shaft of said winding drum, a bearing block for the upper end of said drum shaft, and braceslixed to the bearing block and attached to the main frame to mount the drum in a vertical position.

5. The combination with a road 1naintainer having amain frame provided with a front steering truck, a draft tongue pivotally connected its rear end to said steering truck, means to adjustably swing said steering truck relative to the main frame and said draft tongue, of a winding drum mounted at the inner side of said main frame, a flexible member attached to and adapted to be wound upon said drum, means to connect said flexible member to the front end of said draft tongue, means for turning said drum, a cross plate suspended from said main frame, a bracket secured on the inner end of said cross plate and having a bearing for the lower end of the shaft of said winding drum, a bearing block for the upper end of said drum shaft, braces fixed to the bearing block and attached to the main frame to mount the drum in a vertical position, the drum turning means including an operating shaft having an end j ournaled in said bearing block and provided with a worm, and a worm gear on the upper end of the drum shaft meshing with said worm.

6. The combination with a road maintainer having a main frame provided with a front steering truek,a draft tongue pivotally connected at its rear end to said steering truck, means to adjustably swin said steering truck relative to the main frame and said draft tongue, of a winding drum mounted at the inner side of said main frame, a flexible member attached to and adapted to be wound upon said drum, means to connect said. flexible member to the front end of said draft tongue, means for turning said drum, and guides for said flexible member mounted on the inner side of said main frame forwardly of said drum,

7. A side draft eliminating attaclnnent for road maintainers and the like, comprising a windii'ig drum provided with operating means, means to mount said drum in an up right position on and at the inner side of the read maintainer, and a cable attached to said drum and provided at its outer end with means to connect the same to the forward end of the draft tongue of said read maintainer.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature CLYDE VERKRUYSSE. 

